Oman

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (AP) — The Department of Defense says a sailor from Panama City has died in the Gulf of Oman. The department said Friday that 26-year-old Dominique Cruz was the petty officer who was reported missing from the USS Halsey on Tuesday. Cruz's body was recovered during search operations on Wednesday. Officials from the Halsey's home port of San Diego did not return calls seeking comment about Cruz's death.

Stuart Omans is well-known to Orlando theater audiences as founding artistic director of what is now the Orlando Shakespeare Theater. He was also a long-time University of Central Florida English professor and department chair. Now retired, he splits his time between Orlando and rural North Carolina. The differences between those two locales sparked a memoir, "Ol' Man on a Mountain," which Omans published in 2013. This weekend, Omans will be in town to sign copies of the book from 1-3 p.m. Saturday, March 22, at Bright Lights Books, 161 E. State Road 436, Fern Park.

Best known for her series of "Shopaholic" books, including "Confessions of a Shopaholic," Sophie Kinsella is using technology to promote her latest novel, "Twenties Girl." The avid traveler is staying put (temporarily) in England to participate in a series of Skype events with fans across the United States. This is a change of pace for the 39-year-old author and fashionista. Whether it's taking a quick weekend trip to England's Cornwall, vacationing in exotic Oman or enjoying a margarita at New York's La Esquina, the former financial reporter is always up for a good trip.

IT was a clean sweep of home victories yesterday as Bahraini sailors took victory in all three races on the opening day of the Al Bareh International Regatta Championship. Over 80 sailors from 11 countries around the Middle East and further afield descended on Bahrain Sailing Club's Al Jazayer beach yesterday for the start of the 19th edition of the event. Much to the delight of the home crowd however, there seemed no stopping the local favourites. In the Standard Laser class indeed, Bahrainis took the top four spots, with Abderrahim Abdulla claiming victory with a net score of 7.0, ahead of Sami Kooheji and Ebrahim Abdulla, who both scored 9.0, and Abdulla Janahi, who notched a net score of 12.0.

MUSCAT, Oman - Oman has introduced the death penalty for drug smugglers and producers, local media reported Saturday. They quoted the police chief, Lt. Gen. Hilal bin Khaled al-Maawali, as saying that the legislation, made by royal decree and published in the official gazette, followed several incidents of drug smuggling through Omani territory.

Dinosaur fossils that date back 100 million years have been found in Oman, the first such discovery in the Arabian Peninsula, a newspaper reported Monday. Geologists from Sultan Qaboos University and the Free University of Amsterdam discovered what appear to be remains of therapods and sauropods, the daily al-Watan reported.

MUSCAT, Oman -- Government authorities started evacuating nearly 7,000 people from an eastern Omani island Monday in response to a powerful cyclone headed toward the country. Gen. Malik bin Suleiman al-Muamri, head of the country's civil defense, told reporters that Cyclone Gonu was forecast to first hit Oman today, with the most powerful portion of the storm expected Thursday. Al-Muamri said the storm was expected to send 30-foot waves against Masira island. About 500 people were killed on the island when a cyclone hit in 1977.

LONDON - Two British adventurers bidding to be the first to circle the world nonstop in a balloon were over Oman, south of the Persian Gulf on Thursday night, cruising in a narrow jet stream that should propel them on to India. Pilots Andy Elson and Colin Prescot were traveling about 60mph at an altitude of about 27,000 feet, spokesman Michael Auerbach said. If the balloon stays on course, it should make the west coast of central India by Saturday morning, he said.

MUSCAT, Oman -- Thousands fled low-lying areas as the strongest cyclone to threaten the Arabian Peninsula in 60 years blasted Oman's eastern coast early today with strong winds and waves, officials said. Southern Iran and the oil-rich Persian Gulf were next in its path. Cyclone-force winds of Gonu, which had been churning northwest through the Indian Ocean, reached the Omani coastal towns of Sur and Ra's al-Hadd.

A freighter at the center of a Sino-U.S. dispute over allegations of Chinese trade in chemical weapons materials will anchor off Oman pending negotiations to allow it to dock, officials said Saturday. The official Xinhua news agency, quoting officials at the China Ocean Shipping Corp, said the Yinhe would anchor off Oman ''to ensure the safety of the vessel and crew'' and take on fuel and water. The United States claims that the Yinhe is attempting to transport banned ingredients for chemical weapons to Iran.

DUBAI ? The India football team left for Oman on Wednesday morning to participate in the Asia Cup Under-22 qualifier. They are in the tough pool and their confidence will be boosted by the display in the friendly encounters played in the UAE . The team being coached by Australian Arthur Papas would be training at the Al Wasl Training Ground in Dubai. In the first match, India Under-22 drew 2-2 with African All Star Diamond FC and won the second match 4-1 against the star studded Emirates Dnata team, which included former Iranian international Behroozian.

DUBAI ? Oman Sail won the rights to stage the Laser World Championships in Mussanah Sports City in 2013. Oman is set to host one of the largest international sporting events in the Sultanate's history. An official ceremony to mark the signing of the historic agreement on Tuesday was attended by Sheikh Rashad Al Hinai, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Sports Affairs; David Graham , Oman Sail CEO; Issa Al Ismaili, Oman Sail's director of events and Jeff Martin, executive secretary of the International Laser Class Association, a media release said.

SAUDI STORES MORE OIL AS EXPORTS DIP: According to statistics Saudi Arabia submitted to the Joint Organisation Data Initiative (JODI), the kingdom has kept more oil in storage in April than at any other time in a decade, as Opec's biggest producer pumped at the highest level for at least 31 years, Bloomberg has reported. Saudi Arabia stored 284 million barrels inside the country in April, 3.8 percent more than in March, raising inventories to their highest since January 2002, when Saudi Arabia first submitted statistics to JODI.

Oman Air has announced its support for Oman Wild Art, a special initiative aiming at showcasing Omani creative talent to an international audience. It was launched at the Cultural Club in Qurum, Muscat. Oman Wild Art is organized in association with the Omani Society for Fine Arts, which provides the opportunity for the Sultanate's painters of natural history subjects to display their work and have it assessed by internationally-recognized judges. Winning artists will then have their work exhibited throughout July at the Nature in Art Museum in Gloucester, England.

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (AP) — The Department of Defense says a sailor from Panama City has died in the Gulf of Oman. The department said Friday that 26-year-old Dominique Cruz was the petty officer who was reported missing from the USS Halsey on Tuesday. Cruz's body was recovered during search operations on Wednesday. Officials from the Halsey's home port of San Diego did not return calls seeking comment about Cruz's death.

Best known for her series of "Shopaholic" books, including "Confessions of a Shopaholic," Sophie Kinsella is using technology to promote her latest novel, "Twenties Girl." The avid traveler is staying put (temporarily) in England to participate in a series of Skype events with fans across the United States. This is a change of pace for the 39-year-old author and fashionista. Whether it's taking a quick weekend trip to England's Cornwall, vacationing in exotic Oman or enjoying a margarita at New York's La Esquina, the former financial reporter is always up for a good trip.

MUSCAT, Oman -- Many Omanis voted for the first time Saturday in elections for an 83-member advisory council, the country's first elections to be open for all citizens. About 506 candidates, including 15 women, were running for seats on the Shura Majlis. The Islamic-style council has no formal powers but is consulted by the sultan on new laws and policies. In previous elections in the small Gulf country, only 25 percent of the population was eligible to vote.

Two airmen killed in a traffic accident while deployed to Oman were remembered at a memorial service Wednesday, the first birthday of one victim's daughter.Senior airmen Ajnar L. Carter of Indianapolis and Steven A. Wright of Dublin, Ga., died Saturday when their rented four-wheel-drive vehicle collided with a car occupied by three Omanis who also were killed.Carter's survivors include his wife, Randi, and their year-old daughter, Chantelle. Wright was single.The airmen were off duty and apparently taking a pleasure trip at the time of the collision, which remained under investigation, officials said.

MUSCAT, Oman -- People dragged soaked bedding and carpets from homes Thursday after Cyclone Gonu's winds blew down trees and power lines and its rains sent torrents of water and mud surging through Oman's seaside capital. After pummeling normally hot and dry Oman and Iran's southeastern coast, Gonu weakened and was expected to dissipate into a rainstorm overnight as it moved over the sea toward Iran. At least 28 people were dead, most of them in Oman, and 26 were missing.